is the adittion of a second passenger that big of a deal on a hobie 17? for some reason no one sells their hobies around here (hawaii) and all i can find is a 17 that has a conversion kit to make it the sport model. the more i read the more i worry that i shouldnt buy it as we get waves here and as its my first boat i dont wanna go out alone. would an h16 really be a better choice?

Why is that? I have a 17S, and don't have experience with the 16. A friend of mine was in the market for a Hobie, and wound up with a 16. My Hobie friends were telling me that the 16 is better for two, and the 17 is better for sailing alone.

I think part of the problem is that the H17 hulls don't provide a lot of buoyancy. They ride really low in the water with two people and just feel like they are dragging (especially the stern). I have an H17S and have sailed a lot with 2 people and it works fine but is just less ideal than other boats with more floatation. I've sailed as crew on an H18 (and also on Karl's Fx1) and can see that the tramp is just higher out of the water on the other boats. I'm sure on days when there are waves, I'm creating more resistance in the water than a boat that floats a bit higher. When taking two people out, I'll try to get the crew to move forward enough to keep the bow down since with both people aft, the boat is a butt dragger.

The big problem with two people of any size on the 17 is that it's almost impossible to tack, especially in heavy air. If you're both say under 250 lbs total, it's not a real big deal, but much more than that, it's tough. And as said above, it's a wet ride even with both of you on the wings. It really is a single-handed boat. That's why I went to the FXOne, which is a great boat for 2, and a wild ride for 1.

Hi, JB.I read both your posts about the 16 & 17, and most of the replies have been spot on. The exceptions are those who would sail the 17 without the wings, as the wings provide greater leverage in heavier air. Nevertheless, the 17 is a single-hander and doesn't enjoy a crew, but is more responsive than the 16 all things being equal. The 16 enjoys a crew, but a properly sailed 17 will outperform a 16, again, all things being equal. I've had both, and always recommend a 16 for first-time cat sailers or for those who anticipate having a 2nd on board more often. The 17 is less forgiving, perhaps, and sits lower. If you'll be often launching your cat into the surf, I wouldn't recommend a 17 for a first-time cat-sailor. I've been surf-bashing my 17 in Vero Beach, FL, about 30 times a year for the past 10 years, and it's an ideal recreational single-hander that takes a lot of punishment well. But I cut my teeth in the surf on the 16, and am glad that I did.http://www.dealerweb.biz/client/dealerweb/images/Bateleur.jpg